6 Stages To Setting Goals That Motivate You

There is a notion that once the first week of January appears and before you have repaid the debt from the holiday season, resolutions must be set and goals must be put into place.

Starting off a new year with a clean slate and a new beginning holds such promise for a new start, a new behaviour or a new action we are proposing to start. We mistakenly believe it holds more weight when we plan this at the beginning of the year rather than at any other time. 

The Journal for Clinical Psychology's  new years resolution statistic states that only 8% of people reach the goals they set as new year resolutions. 

This is because they:

• Set unrealistic goals.
• Set other peoples goals.
• Didn’t review their progress.
• Attempted too many things all at once.

I have a solution to all the points mentioned in the statistics above:

Set goals when there's a breakthough or insight which carries enough weight to make the change happen. 

Imagine the impact if you were to wake up one morning and decide that you no longer wanted to put your lungs through smoking, eat unhealthily, conduct your business they way you do, or staying in a relationship that's toxic.

No matter when this awakening happens and whether it be in January, June, August, or November, it is actually irrelevant. It's the intention and motivation that will propel you forward.

As stated above, people believe changes have more of an impact at the beginning of a calendar year, yet there is nothing wrong with making changes mid year, mid week or even mid life. In essence it really depends on when we get those lightbulb moments.

Goal setting or reflecting on what you want should be something that you aim to do at any point in the year.

The question to keep in mind as you review your life is

What is my motivation for bringing about the goals I set myself?

If the answer lies outside of you such as, 'I’ll be happy' or 'I'll be successful' once this happens, then perhaps you might need to refine this further. Simply because you will keep reaching out and onto the next goal which you beleive will finally make you happy or successful without much focus or intention.

Happiness or success doesn't lie in achieving the goal.

Clear goals or intentions which come from the right motivation and mindset can keep you focused during any time. It also allows you to understand that you are the creator of your reality. It comes down to making choices at each step of your journey throughout your life that feel right rather than forced upon.  

There is a quote by Michael Neill which sums it all up for me

Success built on unhappy action is like opening an empty present - you rip off the bow, tear through the beautiful wrapping and discover there's nothing left inside 

 

These are the 6 Stages for goal setting:

1. Deepen your intention - Before you focus on any goal, you need to visualise the ‘big picture’, what do you want to create.
2. Know why you want it - Do you think it will make you more successful, give you better status or make you happy? Or is it just the right next step.
3. Focus on one goal at a time - Once you have your goal refined, break it into smaller pieces.
4. Write it down - The physical act of writing your goal makes it real and tangible and therefore you have no excuse for forgetting or dismissing it.
5. Make an Action plan - Write out the individual steps that are needed, and then cross each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal.
6. Stick with the plan - Build in reminders which can be integrated onto your phone to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals.

Based on the 6 stages above, ask yourself,

What is my motivation or intention in my life or business? And why would I like to bring about those changes?’ Remember that beginning to set intentions or changes can happen at any time during the year, not just the New Year.